Collecting - A McRoll in the REAL World story
by Mari217
Summary: A very important family member is concerned Steve is lonely while Catherine is on reserve duty.


_Sammy & Ilna - _

_If you're ever in a jam, here I am;  
If you're ever in a mess, S-O-S;  
If you ever feel so happy, you land in jail... I'm your bail._

 _Friendship, Cole Porter_

 _REALMcRollers - Thank you for being on this amazing journey with us! Love & hugs._

 _And a hug for my MacKenzie, who's done lots of comforting and to all my fellow dog lovers :)_

* * *

 **Collecting**

Steve stretched as he opened his eyes. _Four days_ was his first thought. Four days 'til Cath was home. He was stopping by the base every few days just to see her for an hour or ten minutes or whatever time he could - but he couldn't wait until Friday. As his arm brushed her pillow, he grinned.

"What are you adding to the collection?" He closed his hand around a soft item and held it up. Catherine's sock. He smiled when Cammie's head popped up from under Catherine's side of the bed and the beach towel dangling from her mouth made him huff a laugh. "Definitely gonna want that washed," he said out loud, and when the dog dropped it on the bed and tilted her head, he shook his own. "It's okay, Cammie, put it in the box. She'll be home in a few days."

He'd placed a small box in front of Catherine's night table three days after she'd been on reserve duty. The first morning, he'd woken to find her bathrobe on her side of bed. Where he definitely knew it hadn't been. It had been in the pile of laundry he'd planned to do that night. The following night he'd found her pants on the foot of the bed. It had continued and he thought that Cammie looked sad when he'd put the items away, so he'd simply gotten a box and placed them in it, telling her, "We can leave everything all right here so I have room to sleep, 'cause I sense a pattern."

At his laugh, Cammie nosed the towel into the box and looked up with gleeful eyes at Steve's "Good girl!" The material smelled like Catherine and anything associated with Catherine made the dog feel content and happy. She loved both her humans and was happiest when her little pack was all together so she could keep her eyes on both. She knew she was safe with Steve and that Catherine was coming back soon, but she also knew he missed Catherine like she did. It was her job to keep her people safe and happy and Cammie was genetically programmed to take her job seriously. When Steve laughed at her popping up with the towel, she wagged her tail with joy.

He was smiling as he pulled a t-shirt over his head and ran a hand over her fur when she came around to his side. "She misses you, too. C'mon, let's get some breakfast."

* * *

Later that morning, Steve answered his cell as he was returning from Max's lab. "Esther, everything okay?"

"Hi, yes, everything's fine. I'm sure Cammie just misses Catherine because this isn't like her, but she worked one of Catherine's aprons off the peg and carried it upstairs. I didn't want to just go in your bedroom without asking, and I'm sure she won't chew it up or anything, I just figured I'd ask."

Steve ran a hand through his hair as he sat. "She's been collecting Cath's stuff all week. She looked upset when I put it away the first couple of times so I stopped."

"Awww, she misses her mommy, that's so sweet. I can let her have the apron, then? I'll go untie the top so it's not dangerous or anything."

"That's fine. There's quite a collection. We'll wash it all when Catherine gets home. Thanks, Esther."

"Anytime. I'll text you when I check in later."

* * *

"Good afternoon, Commander." Catherine's voice brought an automatic smile to Steve's face.

"Afternoon, Lieutenant. How's your day going?"

"I just saw a K-9 team. I miss Cammie."

"Just Cammie?" he teased.

"Definitely not. I miss my husband very much."

"He misses you, too. And so does Cammie. She's been collecting stuff."

"Awwww, my pretty girl. What do you mean ' _collecting stuff'_? What kind of stuff?"

"Your robe, Esther said she took your apron today, her lamb, a cookie - that one I tossed - your beach towel, and one of your hair-crunchie things."

She chuckled. "Scrunchies."

"Whatever. I took that one away too. Choking hazard." He nodded, although she couldn't see him.

"What's she doing with it?"

"Saving it in a box. She was leaving them on your pillow so I put a box by your side of the bed." He chuckled. "You can thank her when you get home."

"Steve?" A smile was in her voice.

"Hmm?"

"I don't think it's for me."

"Then what's she doing?"

"Making _you_ feel better. They're for you. She's reminding you I'll be home soon and her lamb makes her feel comforted so she's sharing it."

"That's - wait, really?"

"Absolutely." When you were on reserves last year, she dragged your sweatshirt to the sofa and up on my lap. I put it on and she snuggled up with me. She was comforting us both - saying you'd be back soon, I know she was."

He grinned at the visual of Catherine engulfed in his sweatshirt, snuggled up with their dog. "She _is_ brilliant, so maybe ..."

He was interrupted by Danny entering to say, "Max called, he needs us downstairs."

"Cath, I gotta -"

"I heard, go. Love you."

"Love you. Bye." He pocketed the phone and moved to join Danny.

"Cammie okay?" He'd heard the tail end of the call.

Steve nodded. "She's fine - just missing Catherine." They fell into step in the corridor.

"Is she not eating? Our dog would do that when we were kids. If we went on vacation, the first few days my aunt would have to mix a couple of meatballs in with his food to get him to eat."

"She's eating, she's pretty adaptable and it's not the first time one or both of us has been away, but she's started collecting stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Cath's robe, a sock, one of her hair things."

"She burying them? Or are they in her bed?" Danny smiled.

"They're on _our_ bed. She puts them on Catherine's side. I got a box last week and left it by the night table because she looked upset when I put the stuff away."

"Wait, wait, that's … priceless." Danny laughed. "The _dog_ looked upset so you let her keep piling stuff on your bed?"

"Not on the bed. That's what the box is for. She's okay with the box."

Danny was still laughing. "As long as Cammie's okay with it."

"She misses Catherine." He shrugged.

"I get that."

"If it makes her feel better ..."

"If it makes …" His best friend shook his head. "Let's shelf how much a human kid is gonna have you wrapped for right now, but you see what she's doing, right?" He was smiling. "Babe, she's leaving that stuff for you."

"That's what Cath said."

As they'd reached the lab and entered the double doors, Danny grinned. "Catherine's always been the smart one, listen to her."

Steve's reply was lost when Max's voice reached them with the words, "Gentlemen, I've got some interesting results here…"

* * *

She shook. Twice. To get the wet off her fur and out of her ears. Racing past Steve, Cammie bounded across the sand and onto the deck where she lapped up the water he'd poured into her bowl before their swim. When he didn't immediately follow her to the door she went to join him. He'd taken a seat on one of the chairs and she nuzzled his cheek when he bent to run a hand over her head.

"Good swim, huh?" He drained a water bottle and placed it in the sand. "A few more days." He smiled and Cammie thumped her tail, not quite understanding the words, but reacting to his expression and gentle scratching behind her ears. She'd had fun all week when the various visitors had stopped by. More people to throw her ball and give her attention was great, but her time with her own humans was always her favorite. She could tell Catherine was coming home soon by Steve's demeanor, his body language. Whether she was gone an hour or a week, it changed when the time for Catherine's return neared and the dog picked up on subtleties no human could.

When the phone he'd left on the arm of the chair rang, man and dog sat up straighter. "Hey, Cath." He pushed Facetime and grinned at her. "We were just talking about you."

"Were you?" Her eyes sparkled even on the display. "Hey, Cammie, did you swim with Steve?" Her delighted chortle at the dog's whirling leap and 'woof' had Steve beaming.

"She played with the kids earlier and just swam with me, she's all good. Except for missing you. Did you get my text?" He'd texted her a picture of Cammie's collection.

She grinned. "Adorable. Are you giving Steve stuff, pretty girl? Don't let him miss me too much, okay?"

"Not even possible." Steve smiled. "Three days."

Her grin matched his. "Can't wait to have pancakes with you."

"Right back at you." His tongue darted over his lower lip.

"I gotta run. Talk to you tomorrow. Love you."

"Love you. See you soon. And the collection is off the bed, safe from chocolate sauce, promise." His grin was unabashed.

"Steve?" Her tone was low. "You actually think we're gonna make it to the bed?" She blew him a kiss, and before he could answer, ended the call, the sound of her delighted laughter at his groan ringing in his ears.

# End thanks for reading

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